10 THINGS WE CAN DO TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE:

Protect oceans and coasts: Oceans help reduce climate change by

storing large amounts of carbon dioxide, and coastal ecosystems can

help minimize the impacts of climate change. Protect healthy oceans

by keeping them clean, taking part in beach cleanups and supporting

sustainably sourced seafood.

Collaborate and share: There are many ways people collaborate that

create opportunities to meet basic needs, while being resource-efficient

and cutting down on GHG emissions. Some examples of the new col-

laborative or sharing economy include co-working, bike sharing, car-

pooling, crowd funding and garden sharing.

Support climate innovation: Innovative technologies that will help us

mitigate and adapt to climate change are becoming ever important in

helping to accelerate climate action. Give your support to climate en-

trepreneurs and inventors to develop innovative technologies and ideas

(www.greenafricadirectory.org)... By Mncedisi Masuku.

The Bishop on Climate Change... From page 7

Women are more dependent on natural resources for their

livelihoods, so the contribution of women is essential in deci-

sions around climate change. Our communities must be

equal as in the Eucharist.

Let us commit to work with the government in all her strate-

gies to mitigate and eradicate the effect of climate change.

Let’s take measures to, recycle and collect water around

church building and properties

Let’s support sustainable land use initiatives, including a halt

to the clearing of native forests. Do not buy firewood along

the roads.

We all can do something to mitigate the effects of climate change if

anything PRAY.

Stay Blessed, Bishop Ellinah.

dionet

ANGLICAN CHURCH DIOCESE OF SWAZILAND NEWS LETTER

“We aspire to be a caring church that empowers people for

ABUNDANT LIFE”

The Bishop on Climate Change

Continuation from our December issue.

Climate change and the church

Care of creation and justice should be at the centre of

work for the Church on climate change. The Bible

teaches the wholeness of creation and calls human

beings to take care of the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:15).

The God of the Bible is a God of Justice who pro-

tects, loves and cares for the most vulnerable among

his creatures.

The climatic developments taking place in the world

are threatening the lives and livelihood of many, especially amongst the

world’s poorest people, and destroying biodiversity. Let us as the

church, particularly in Swaziland at this time work towards overcoming

this model on among other things over-consumption and greed. When

creation is threatened we as churches and Christians are called to speak

out and act as an expression of our commitment to life, justice and love.

The fifth mark of mission for the Anglican

Communion which we are part of is

“To strive to safeguard the integrity of crea-

tion and sustain and renew the

life of the earth.”

The earth is a gift to us from God out of love

for us (Gen. 1:26, 2:15) and we therefore have

the responsibility for the well-being of crea-

tion in all its variety. Cont page 2

INSIDE

Keep the Bells ringing Pg 3

Laos Pg 8

Addressing Climate Change

Pg 10

The Rt. Rev. Ellinah

Wamukoya . Bishop of

Swaziland

Jan 2016

2

The Bishop on Climate Change... From page 1

Noting that the lives of future generations will depend on our action now, it is time we use our

power wisely so that future generations can flourish and the diversity of life on earth is pro-

tected. Many are looking to the church for a moral lead in terms of increasingly going green

which also in the long run also makes economic sense. Running most of our buildings on solar

energy will be in the long run cheaper and save on fossil fuel and the ozone layer.

Anglican Bishop from all six continents meeting in Cape Town in February 2015 declared:

“The World is our Host: A Call to urgent Action for Climate Justice.”

This statement sets a new agenda on climate change for the 85 million strong Anglican Com-

munion, Swaziland being a part of that communion. Before all other actions the Bishops called

for an urgent prayer on the unprecedented climate crisis. The Archbishop of Cape Town

and Primate of Southern Africa, the Most Revd. Dr. Thabo Makgoba who brought the group

together said;

“We accept the evidence of science; Human activity, especially in fossil- fuel based

economies,

is the main

cause of

climate

crisis. We

heard of

extreme

wealth and

changes to

seasons;

rising sea

levels,

acidifica-

tion of sea

water; de-

pleted fish-

ing

grounds,

and dis-

placed peo-

ple who are climate refugees.

The problem is spiritual as well as economic, scientific and political. We have been complicit

in a theology of domination. While God committed the care of creation to us, we have been

care-less - but not hopeless.

“In the words of St. Theresa of Avila, we are God’s hands and feet on earth, now is

the time for us, rooted in prayer, to step up and take action on climate crisis.”

Cont page….7

11

Water Crisis-Hope Africa and United Society in

Ireland to the rescue.

Following the current drought that has hit our country. The Diocese of Swaziland has

come with short term interventions to try and help some of the schools around Mbabane.

The water shortages situation in Mbabane and surroundings has seen some of the schools

sending kids home. Many thanks to our partners United Society in Ireland and Hope

Africa who has partnered with us in this project.

Diocesan Youth President Ms President Ms Nosipho

Dlamini is now engaged. The president was engaged by

Rev. Mthetheleli Simelane of Manzini Parish at St

George and James Anglican Church on February 14

2016 during Eucharist service. The Engagement of the

two came just after a month of another engagement at

the same church. This was the engagement of Mandla

Mdluli an employee of the

Diocese in the Social Devel-

opment department-

communications. Mandla got

engaged to Ms Gugu Ma-

gagula of the same Parish on

January 17. Gugu also serves

in the Diocesan youth com-

mittee as a secretary.

Diocesan Youth President is Engaged

Miss Nosipho Dlamini and

Rev. Mthetheleli Simelane

during their engagement at

St George and James.

Mandla down on his

knees as he proposes to

Gugu at St George and

James.

10

ENVIRONMENTAL AND

AGRIC-PAGE

10 THINGS WE CAN DO TO ADDRESS

CLIMATE CHANGE:

In last month’s issue I tried to explain what Climate Change is and how it is affecting Africa. I

promised to share ideas we can initiate to address the worldwide problem which I said is worse

than HIV/AIDS. In this issue I will address 10 things individuals can do to address Climate

Change and next issue I will address what households or communities can do:

Green your transport: Consider using the most sustainable forms of transport available, in-

cluding non-motorized transport such as walking or cycling; public transport such as trains and

buses; and carpooling, ride sharing or car share schemes.

Use sustainable energy: Using sustainable energy in your home helps prevents carbon emis-

sions and has various co-benefits, like saving money. Renewable, clean and efficient energy

sources for the home include solar cookers, solar water heaters, solar lights, biogas and clean

cook stoves. Be energy-efficient through your choice of home appliances and use of energy.

Support sustainable agriculture and diets: Sustainable agriculture can help mitigate climate

change and build food security. Support sustainably produced food (e.g., organic) and consider

growing your own food or joining a community food garden. A major contributor to climate

change is the meat industry - cut down on meat or eliminates it from your diet to help prevent

climate change.

Raise your voice and awareness: Get to know more about how climate change may affect you

(including your health, livelihood and children), and then start conversations with others about

climate change to help raise awareness and inspire action. Join local climate-change groups,

attend climate events and talks, and engage your local political leaders to take bold, ambitious

action on climate change.

Build green: There are many innovative, affordable and sustainable building techniques avail-

able across Africa. These include using sandbags, eco-bricks, hemp and straw bale. Retrofit

your home to be more sustainable — My Green Home in South Africa is a practical example of

how to do this on a household level.

Plant trees and protect biodiversity: Trees and forests provide carbon sinks and help mitigate

climate change, while protecting biodiversity helps sustain vital ecosystem services (which

include regulating climate). Plant trees, join or support tree-planting initiatives and events, do-

nate a tree and support local nature-conservation initiatives.

Save water: Help conserve water in your home through using low-flow shower heads and wa-

terless, low-flush or dual-flush toilets; have shorter showers; ensure your garden is water-wise

and indigenous; collect and use rainwater; consider grey water recycling; and repair leaky taps.

Continued on page 12

3

KEEP THE BELLS RINGING From The Dean...

I am writing to you at an exciting and yet challenging times when we

have bold Church leaders in the persons of His Holiness Pope Francis

(Roman Catholic) and The Most Reverend Justine Welby as defenders of

the Holy Writ that are sworn to. I last wrote about bells ringing and this

time around I am writing about using the Right Forms of Service as pro-

vided for by our Church (Anglican). What we are hearing to be taking

place in some parishes leaves some of us numb, to say the least. I have

just returned from the Diocese of Mthatha in the Eastern Cape attending a

service of the installation of the 16th Dean of the Cathedral of St. John. I

arrived with the Dean and Bishop elect of Zululand the Very Reverend

Monument Makhanya into a well run (sung Even Song) which included

licensing of Cathedral Canons in the Cathedral. This was Saturday by the

way where some of us never come near a Church door leave alone have a service. The beauty of lit-

urgy here was at its best led by the Bishop of the Diocese the Rt. Reverend Doctor Sithembele

Mzamane and the music was phenomenal. At this point I would like to come quickly to what I would

want to highlight here.

The people we lead have chosen to be members of the Anglican Church not to use/rent Anglican

churches to try all forms of different liturgies. I am saying here that none of our folk come to the An-

glican Church to experience anything different other than that which is prescribed/set form of service.

When some of us seem to have such hatred for the Anglican Liturgy to the point of lying to people that

it is useless thus confusing the masses, why are we here in the first place? The bedevilling of the

church’s traditions by some of us, and labelling the same as un-Christian, and in the process wanting to

benefit from the same institution will bring judgement on us. History is going to judge us. Going back

to the Mthatha experience it was like being at the mountain of the Transfiguration where leaving is like

departing from the Holy of Holies straight to hell. I therefore implore all licensed ministers of our

church to rise to the challenge of being faithful ministers found in their stations doing what God ex-

pects from them unless called otherwise. Keep the Bells Ringing to the delight of God’s people.

BIOLOGICAL TOILET TREATMENT

For pit toilets and septic tanks

Call. +268 7602 0690

4

The Us difference... Pupils from St Bernard's

Anglican Primary School

holding pencil cases given

to them by the United Soci-

ety. These pencil cases

were donated by pupils in

Ireland. More than 5000

pencil cases have been dis-

tributed to Anglican

schools up to this time.

Barefoot Holy week The Walkers youth group will walk bare-foot on holy week to try and get school

shoes for needy pupils walking barefoot to school. You can make a donation at your

local church and we will collect them or call the Diocesan Office@ 2404 3624 or call

Mandla @ 7665 4457 .All shoes will go to Anglican Schools to

help children walking barefoot

9

From The Arch Bishop.. From page 8

This has important implications in parishes where, for example, same-sex couples who are living

in civil unions under South African law bring their children for baptism and confirmation. No

child brought for baptism should be refused merely because of the sexual orientation of the par-

ents, and particular care should be taken against stigmatising not only parents but their children

too.

We also tried at the Synod of Bishops to draw up guidelines for clergy wanting to bless couples in

same-sex unions, or who want to enter same-sex unions themselves. We constituted a group of

bishops reflecting a cross-section of our views to discuss such guidelines. On this issue, I had to

report back to the Synod, the only agreement we reached is that we were not of one mind.

Our differences do not only revolve around the theology of marriage, but are also a result of differ-

ent pastoral realities in different dioceses. For example, most of our dioceses across Southern Af-

rica are predominantly rural, and for many the urgent priorities of food security, shelter, healthcare

and education crowd out debate on the issue of human sexuality. In some rural dioceses, respond-

ing to challenges to the Church's restrictions on polygamous marriages is a much higher pastoral

priority.

As a consequence, the Synod of Bishops has agreed that we will continue to regard ourselves

bound by the broad consensus in the Anglican Communion, expressed by the Lambeth Conference

in 1998, which is that we "cannot advise the legitimising or blessing of same-sex unions nor or-

daining those involved in same gender unions". Having said that, we did address the questions of

whether that decision is immutable, whether it has replaced scripture, and when a Province of the

Communion, or a diocese within a Province may deviate from it.

Of one thing I am absolutely determined, and that is that the Church in Southern Africa should

build on our history of refusing to allow our differences to separate us, and that we should con-

tinue to work patiently through them together. We overcame deep differences over the imposition

of sanctions against apartheid and over the ordination of women, and we can do the same over

human sexuality. As the bishops say in the pastoral guidelines:

"Given that we share such broad and deep foundations of faith, when, as Bishops in Synod, we

consider questions of human sexuality, we feel sharp pain and great distress at our own differ-

ences and at the breaches and divisions within the wider Anglican Communion. Yet we strongly

affirm that we are united in this: that none of us feels called to turn to another and say ‘I no longer

consider you a Christian, a brother in Christ, a member of the body of Christ’. None of us says ‘I

am no longer in communion with you.’ We find that our differing views on human sexuality take

second place alongside the strength of our overpowering conviction of Christ among us. As long

as we, the Bishops of this Province, know unity in Christ in this way, human sexuality is not, and

cannot be allowed to be, for us a church-dividing issue."

So on a personal level I came home from the Synod tired but full of hope. I am encouraging our

Province in dealing not only with the issue of human sexuality, but also on those such as climate

justice and inequality, never to abandon the hope that comes from knowing the grace with which

we are held in the palm of God's hand.

God bless you,

8

From The Arch Bishop..

Dear People of God

I am writing to you just as we complete the February meeting of the

Synod of Bishops, where we continued to travel together as we wres-

tled with our episcopal leadership of the Church. When we meet, we

do so conscious that our vocation is not simply to serve you, the peo-

ple of our Church, but to serve God through you -- a tiny distinction

perhaps, but an important one.

We met in a spirit and rhythm of prayer, beginning with Eucharist

each day, followed by midday prayers and Evening Prayer together,

on the edge of the Wild Coast, north of East London, where we were

surrounded by the rhythm of God seen in the beauty of nature. The

matters we discussed were firmly rooted in mission, issues that affect how we serve God through and

with his people. So we heard reports on the COP21 climate talks and on the encouraging development

of our educational initiatives, which involve establishing new schools and strengthening existing ones.

We also reflected on theological education and on work to ensure that clergy and full-time lay workers

are adequately taken care of in retirement. In our most vivid act of solidarity and identification with a

God who knows pain and marginalisation, we undertook a walk of witness to the site of the 1992

Bhisho Massacre and then worshipped with the people of the dioceses of the Eastern Cape at Bhisho

Stadium.

We have issued a joint statement from the Synod, but I want to report to you in more detail to give you

the full context of one of the more challenging matters we discussed. One of the key tasks before us

was to fulfil the mandate given to us by Provincial Standing Committee and to finalise pastoral guide-

lines for couples in South Africa who are in same-sex civil unions. Against the backdrop of the inter-

national debate on this issue in the worldwide Anglican Communion, our discussions were frank, open

and robust. We sensitively considered our role as the Anglican Church in Southern Africa within the

broader family of the Communion, cognisant of the divergent strands of theological thinking within

the Province of Southern Africa and of the different pastoral challenges that the different dioceses and

the different countries of our Province are facing.

The document we have agreed upon will go to Provincial Synod for adoption in September, and will

be published a few months ahead of Synod in the First Agenda Book. I believe that its adoption by

Provincial Synod would be an important first step in signalling to the LGBT community that we in the

Anglican Church of Southern Africa, through our top deliberative and legislative body, see them as

welcome members of our body as sisters and brothers in Christ. In the words of the guidelines:

"We reaffirm our assurance to them that they are loved by God and that all baptised, believing and

faithful persons, regardless of sexual orientation, are full members of the Body of Christ. Many of

these are baptised and confirmed members of the Church and are seeking the pastoral care, moral

direction of the Church, and God’s transforming power for the living of their lives and the ordering of

relationships."

In another section, the bishops declared that: "We are of one mind that gay, lesbian and transgendered

members of our church share in full membership as baptised members of the Body of Christ..."

Cont page 9...

5

Diocesan Links

Diocese of Brechin-

bishop@brechin.anglican.org

Trinity Wall Street-BMusoke-

Lubega@trinitywallstreet.org

United Society-us@ireland.anglican.org

Episcopal Diocese of Iowa-

jallaway@iowaepiscopal.org

Hope Africa

kholiwe@hopeafrica.org.za

NOTICES

1. Bishop away up to 4th

of April

2. Diocesan Synod in

September

3. Vacancy Assistant So-

cial Development Co-

ordinator. See more

info with your Rectors

or church warderns.

Food Distribution to Neighbour-

hood Care points

Care Givers receiving food

from the office of the social

development. Mpaka has 15

children under its care

Children at Luve neighbourhood carepoint. Luve

Parish has 35 children under its care and that in-

cludes Kukhanyeni which is a branch for Luve.

The Anglican Diocese of Swaziland feeds more

than 450 Children in its care points everyday.

Women for the parishes volunteers to come and

cook for the children everyday and the kids would

also get basic education. The Diocese of Swazi-

land has 15 care points.

6

From the Oakland's. Partners and Companions of

the Diocese of Swaziland

It is a joy for us to be back in Swaziland. Dave first came as part of the St. Matthias

House Project in 1998 and has chaired the Commission in Iowa that oversees Companion

Relationships. Mary Jane first came in 2008 for the 40th Anniversary celebration—three

years after she was ordained a priest in the Diocese of Iowa. In 2011 while Dr. Shively

held two dental clinics in Swaziland, we visited several of the NCPs where Mary Jane

conducted nutrition workshops with the volunteers who feed the children and those in-

volved in Home Based Care. We were able to return in 2012 for Bishop Wamukoya’s

consecration.

When Bishop Wamukoya

visited the Diocese of

Iowa in 2013, we had the

opportunity to provide

transport around the Dio-

cese as well as to be in-

volved in several meet-

ings with her. When she

suggested that we should

come visit Swaziland for

an extended period we

responded that once we

were both retired that

might be possible. Mary

Jane retired from her con-

gregation last May, and

Bishop Ellinah asked us

to to assist the new Direc-

tor of the Department of Social Development to help with outlining goals and procedures.

Mary Jane will also serve as an Assisting Priest at All Saints Cathedral while we are.

Both of us are also retired educators—Dave taught mathematics and computer science to

college undergraduates and Mary Jane taught nutrition and medical nutrition therapy to

both graduate and undergraduate students. We will have the opportunity to visit several

of the Anglican schools with Archdeacon Bheki Magongo.

We give thanks to God and the Diocese of Swaziland to be with you during the months of

February and March. May God bless and guide this walk with you, our companions in

Swaziland.

Ms. Thandi Zulu with The Rev. Mary Jane Oakland working on goals and procedures for the Social Development Office.

7

The Bishop on Climate Change... From page 2

So we as the Anglican Church in Swaziland in agreement with the Bish-

ops and in view of the prevailing climatic conditions must commit to:

Energy conservation measures and endeavor to start using re-

newable energy

Nurture biodiversity on church land

Support sustainability in water

Fast for the climate change initiative where we join many others

in fasting and praying for the climate on the first of every

month. Our fast will continue as long as we prayerfully discern

that we stand in need of repentance as a church and nation

Commit to use liturgical material on care for creation for use in

parishes and other places of worship.

Cont… page 12